Evelyn surprised to be marrying Chad?

Evelyn Lozada isn’t surprised that she is about to walk down the aisle, but she didn’t expect to be marrying a guy like Chad Ochocinco.

“I always knew in my mind that I was going to get married, but I never thought in a million years that I would be with somebody like Chad and that my wedding would be filmed and televised,” she told Ebony magazine.

“On the show, I said I would blow off every athlete. Then Chad comes in like a hurricane,” she said.

It was likely that declaration to never date another athlete that left Evelyn’s former BFF, Jennifer Williams, believing Ev and Chad would just be a casual fling. That misguided conclusion led to a season-long rift between the girlfriends, who have since reconciled.

Although it may have taken her friends a while to realize her budding reality TV romance was real, Evelyn said she knew.

“They always say, when you know, you know. I knew. I was like this is supposed to be my husband. We’re a train wreck sometimes, but it is what it is. We’re like the same people. He gets me and I get mad at him and it’s not perfect, but we love each other."

While she’s preparing to be a dutiful wife, even learning to prepare macaroni and cheese, Evelyn is also working on business ventures, including E by Evelyn cosmetics, a new clothing line and her novel.

“I did it very tastefully. Names are changed. I made sure to keep things very private,” said Evelyn, who still considers the book “very open.”

“You can get a glimpse of how I lived, how my life was and why I do react to certain things and why I’m so protective of my girlfriends,” she said.

Evelyn’s book, The Wives Association, and her makeup line are available now. Her clothes are coming soon.

“We’re in the early stages on that, but I will say that it is going to be a line of maxi dresses, and they’re going to be very affordable. It’s going to be around Spring 2013,” she said.

See Ev and Chad, LaLa and Carmelo Anthony and more celebrity-athlete couples!